I believe these people are held on substantially the same terms as other prisoners. Deputy Jim O'Keeffe said they tend to be clannish and exclusionary in their dealings with other prisoners. In an area of free association and dissociation, it is not possible to force prisoners to interact with each other. The regime, effectively, allows groups or sub-groups within the Grove to stick to themselves if that is their desire.
The Grove consists of seven separate houses where inmates live in a domestic type environment. In total, there are 40 prisoners, including 11 provisional IRA prisoners, two INLA prisoners and 27 non-aligned prisoners. Some of the descriptions of the basic accommodation in this area give a misleading impression of luxury and tend to ignore the reality that the inmates there, as elsewhere in the prison system, are behind prison walls and in secure custody.
The Deputy asked about purchasing goods. I am told it is not true that prisoners are entitled to order takeaway food. I understand that from 1973 a regime existed in Portlaoise Prison which enabled prisoners belonging to the provisional movement to avail of the finances of a group called Cumann Cabhrach to purchase what is, effectively, tuck. Items are submitted for purchase on the basis that an officer would make purchases from local shops from time to time where that does not involve inordinate time or inconvenience. Any material or goods ordered into the prison are subject to the normal rules and regulations in place for good order and security.
